Three summers ago, Tyler Livingston stood on the ninth tee box at Tyngsboro Country Club with UMass Lowell men's basketball head coach Pat Duquette and assistants Nick Leonardelli and Biko Paris, staring down perhaps the most important shot he's ever had on a golf course.

Livingston had walked on to the UMass Lowell team as a freshman in 2013-14, the program's first season at the Division 1 level. The Hudson, N.H., native and former Alvirne High standout was a pleasant surprise for the River Haws, averaging 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game.

Duquette told the 6-foot-6 Livingston that if the forward beat him on the short par-3 hole, Livingston would be granted a full scholarship.

Both stuck their tee shot within about 10 feet of the cup. Both players missed the birdie putt and sank the par putt.

So what about that scholarship?

"Coach Duquette said, 'So what do you think, should we play again?' I said, 'Sure.' Then he said, 'No, it's fine, I'll just give you the scholarship,' " recalled Livingston.

It turned out to be a great decision for Duquette and the UMass Lowell program. Livingston produced four excellent seasons at UML and will now continue his career professionally.

Earlier this week, Livingston signed a contract to play the 2017-18 season for Arcos Albacete Basket in LEB Plata, the third tier of the Spanish basketball league system.

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He will head to Spain on Aug. 29 and live in Albacete.

"I'm thrilled for Tyler and the opportunity he has," said Duquette. "He went from walk-on to full scholarship player, scored nearly 1,000 points, and is now a pro. What an amazing story."

Thanks to a breakout senior season in 2016-17, Livingston attracted the attention of several agents. He started all 31 games and averaged 13.2 points and 4.6 rebounds. He shot 50.2 percent from the floor and an America East Conference-leading 46.2 percent from 3-point range.

Livingston settled with a Minneapolis-based agent who sold him on the fact that a professional basketball career was a realistic proposition based on the fact that, among senior players in the country, Livingston was one of the leaders in true shooting percentage -- a darling stat for fans of increasingly popular basketball analytics.

"He told me that there were a lot of teams that would give me an offer based on what they see on paper because it shows that I can really shoot the ball," said Livingston, who graduated last spring and majored in finance. "So if there was a chance to play overseas, I wanted to take it. I'm young and I want to experience something that not a lot of people get to experience. There's nothing to lose."

Livingston turned down an offer from a team in the country of Georgia because of its close proximity to the dangerous turmoil in Russia and the Middle East. He was also in advanced discussions with a team in Germany before that fell apart. Then came the offer in Spain.

Livingston admits that if he hadn't earned that full ride from UMass Lowell, he probably would've transferred to a program that was willing to give him one. Early on in his college career when he was trying to find his way, Livingston was sometimes overly passive. Coaches jokingly referred to him as "mumbles" during practice because he was soft-spoken on the defensive end.

But Livingston grew into a vocal leader, a reliable two-way force and a player that Duquette wanted on the floor as much as possible.

"Coach Duquette really did a lot for me. He's been my biggest mentor," said Livingston. "He'll always tell you what you want to hear and what you don't want to hear. He keeps it honest and that was huge for me."

The UMass Lowell team will travel to Italy for an exhibition tour Aug. 17-27 and Livingston is going along for the trip. He'll return home for a day, pack his bags and then set out for Spain.

"I'm excited," he said. "I think it's a good time to break away and figure out who I want to be."

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